Gourmet: Midnight Vending-Chapter 342 - 319: Delicious, Delicious—Take It Away

Chapter 342: Chapter 319: Delicious, Delicious—Take It Away

Chen Mo couldn’t be bothered to explain further.

Using chicken soup to cook rice, especially clear chicken soup, is something that not many people have tried, but there’s a deep meaning behind Chen Mo’s recipe.

And it’s not traditional overnight rice being used.

After the rice is cooked, it’s immediately spread outside, and even the fan in the food truck is used to quickly cool and dry the rice.

"Blow for fifteen minutes, then you can start frying the rice."

Chen Mo kept the recipe in mind, with a progress bar before his eyes, just waiting for the time to start the preparation.

It’s still early, not even business hours yet, and he didn’t know how business would be today.

In the end, Yu Hongtao mustered up the courage, lifted the cup in his hand, and took a small sip of the black, sticky juice.

"Hey?"

The taste was indescribable, like a mix of many fruits and vegetables, with a hint of sea breeze. It wasn’t necessarily tasty, but surprisingly not that bad either.

With nothing better to do, Yu Hongtao occasionally sipped, and before he knew it, he had finished a strange cup of black juice.

Next door, after Xue An heard what his brother Xue Ping said on the phone, his heart raced with excitement, "Do you mean we’ve run into a tough competitor?"

"Yeah."

Xue An thought for a moment, "So what? We’re saying his Huaiyang cuisine isn’t authentic, but we never said it doesn’t taste good. It doesn’t matter, whether it’s black or red, it’s still attention."

Seeing Xue Ping still looking dumbfounded, Xue An angrily punched his brother, "Bro, think of it this way. He sells his inauthentic lion’s head meatballs, we sell our authentic ones, without interfering with each other, right? Everyone relies on their skills; whoever sells it counts on their ability."

Hearing this, some color returned to Xue Ping’s face.

Mainly because what Zhou Yu said was too shocking. Back when he worked in the restaurant kitchen, Xue Ping had witnessed Zhou Yu’s skills.

If even Zhou Yu says this young boss is skilled, then they...

"You’re right, if he can set up a stall here, so can we. Everyone earns a living through their skills."

Thinking this way, his heart felt much more at ease.

Of course, Xue Ping no longer had any thoughts of provoking Chen Mo. If even Zhou Yu admitted defeat, what reason did he have to be dissatisfied?

As time passed, Xue Ping began to smell the delicious aroma of meat wafting from the clay pot in front of him, and his previously chaotic mood improved a lot, "Almost there, just five more minutes until it’s ready."

"Yeah, it’s just a pity we don’t have any customers yet." Xue An looked at the empty street, feeling a bit frustrated.

As the timer on the cart ended, Xue Ping quickly lifted the lid of the clay pot and served a portion of the soup and meat into a disposable bowl he had bought in advance, "I’ll go deliver it to next door."

"Sure."

It’s ridiculous to think that Chen Mo was actually their first customer; it’s really annoying.

Xue An tagged along.

"Boss, your lion’s head meatballs are ready." Xue Ping placed the small bowl on the display counter.

Chen Mo glanced at it; his own lion’s head meatball progress bar was nearly full as well, "Okay."

Seeing the young boss’s indifferent attitude, Xue An complained, "Dude, at least give it a try."

Xue Ping, noticing his brother’s bluntness, quickly added, "Yeah, brother, give it a taste. It’s our first day selling at a stall, and hearing more customer feedback could help us improve."

Chen Mo then stood up from his stool, looked at the two brothers, picked up the bowl of lion’s head meatballs, and walked down from the food truck, placing it on Xiao Huang’s table, "This is on me."

"What?"

"Yeah, I’m giving it to you."

With that, Chen Mo turned and went back.

Yu Hongtao looked at the bowl of clear-stewed lion’s head meatballs in confusion; the clear soup and white lion’s head meatballs looked like those from a traditional restaurant.

"Thanks."

Seeing this, Xue An clenched his fists and wanted to argue, but his brother elbowed him twice, calming him down.

The two brothers returned to Yu Hongtao’s side, quietly waiting for the first customer’s judgment.

Before Yu Hongtao picked up the spoon, Chen Mo brought out another bowl of lion’s head meatballs, "This is your order."

Two bowls of lion’s head meatballs were placed on the table.

From top to bottom, one was in a clear soup with a pale meat color, while the other was in a soy-based sauce, slightly staining the meatball in a browner hue.

Huaxia cuisine has always placed emphasis on color, aroma, and taste, and indeed, with that bit of soy color, it did look more appetizing than the one in clear soup.

Yu Hongtao thought he had stumbled upon something good today, not only getting a free serving of health juice but also a free lion’s head meatball.

He picked up his spoon, and under the expectant eyes of the two brothers, he started with the clear soup lion’s head meatball.

"Hmm, it breaks upon touch, tender and smooth." Yu Hongtao slowly savored it, "No off-flavors, rich in meat aroma, not bad, quite tasty."

Xue Ping and Xue An immediately beamed with joy.

"See, bro, I knew our lion’s head meatballs were good!"

Xue Ping was particularly happy, having not expected the first serving of lion’s head meatballs to receive customer approval, which filled him with confidence for setting up a stall at the Ecological Garden.

Next.

Yu Hongtao changed to another spoon, targeting the soy-colored lion’s head meatball next to it, scooping a piece, and added some vinegar to the spoon.

Under the brothers’ watch, he slightly closed his eyes, as if making all the necessary preparations, and only then put the spoon’s contents into his mouth.

"Hiss..."

Yu Hongtao drew a sharp breath, sucking in the meat and vinegar aroma into his stomach, and he couldn’t help but shiver. It was a full-body shiver of delight!

Just from a small bite of the lion’s head meatball.

He savored it for over a minute, only opening his eyes when the last trace of flavor had vanished from his mouth, staring at the other bowl of clear soup lion’s head meatballs, "What kind of thing is this... take it away, quickly."

It’s not about not recognizing quality; it’s about comparison.

To eat it alone, that lion’s head meatball was decent, standard, not bad-tasting but not extraordinarily delicious either.

But if you took another bite of Boss Xiao Chen’s lion’s head meatball.

Tsk...

Yu Hongtao felt heartfelt, "To encounter the most delicious lion’s head meatballs when I am poorest, fearing the days without pocket money will be bleak."

Chen Mo couldn’t help but laugh.

This guy’s a poet after all.

But listening to it, it did make some sense.

The world’s cuisines are just like that, sometimes you don’t need to insist on it every day; just enjoying a momentary pleasure through your taste buds when you encounter it is enough. That day’s joy will remain etched deep in your memory for a long time.

Seeing their painstakingly made lion’s head meatballs first receive praise from a customer and then directly asked to take it away, Xue Ping and Xue An were indignant!

Xue An was about to burst.

Xue Ping steadied his brother, "Don’t panic."

He then walked over to the food truck, "Boss, give us two lion’s head meatballs."

Chen Mo casually served out two, along with some vinegar, and handed them over, "One hundred seventy-six yuan."

Xue Ping bit his tongue.

They hadn’t made a single dime yet and already spent so much?